Powering Through Pompe – a Column by Keara Engle

At my 4-year-old son Cayden’s last appointment with the otolaryngologist (ears, nose, and throat doctor, or ENT), the doctor and I decided that we should look into getting a new set of tubes for Cayden’s ears. Cayden, who has infantile-onset Pompe disease, showed signs of mild hearing loss during…

Recently, we had a weird occurrence. For the first time, we had trouble accessing the port of my 4-year-old son, Cayden, for his infusion. A port is a small device that’s placed under the skin, usually in the chest, for multiple tasks, including blood draws, infusions, transfusions, IV fluids,…

My 4-year-old son, Cayden, had to do a sleep study this month. Although he’s done them before, it’s been over two years since his last one. At his most recent checkup, Cayden’s pulmonary doctor mentioned that he wanted Cayden to do another sleep study to see how things…

My 4-year-old son, Cayden, had a routine checkup with his metabolic specialists during a recent Pompe clinic day. Although we always know what to expect during these visits, that’s both a blessing and a curse. After Cayden sees the doctor and completes a physical therapy session, we then…

I attended an in-person educational presentation on Pompe disease this month in Hershey, Pennsylvania, that was hosted by Sanofi, the creator of two drugs that are treatment options for Pompe. I got to hear great information about “Taking Charge of Your Pompe Disease.” Most of the presentation…

Last week, my 4-year-old son, Cayden, had a routine checkup with his pulmonary specialist. These visits occur about every six months. While we are certainly used to the appointments, we left with a great report this time, which isn’t always the case. Cayden’s pulmonologist has been seeing him since before…

Having a child with a rare disease can certainly be challenging at times, but it doesn’t make us superheroes. We’re often called this by people with typical children or no children at all. The truth is that we’re just like everyone else. We don’t have magical superpowers, nor do…

If you’re the parent of a child with a rare disease, or if you have a rare disease yourself, you’re likely accustomed to juggling various appointments with rare disease specialists. My 4-year-old son, Cayden, sees many different specialists due to his infantile-onset Pompe disease. Recently, we had an…

Infusions of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) are something my 4-year-old son, Cayden, is used to at this point in his life. He started receiving them when he was just 1 month old, shortly after we got news of his diagnosis of infantile-onset Pompe disease through Pennsylvania’s newborn screening…

If you have a rare disease or are the caregiver of someone with a rare disease, then you’re probably no stranger to research companies reaching out to you. Companies conduct a range of studies and seek out those living with rare diseases to gain more information. While everyone…